At last year’s winter general assembly, a reworded BDS motion was defeated 276-212 by secret ballot.

In both cases the motions were submitted by Solidary for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR). McGill BDS, which was officially launched on Feb. 4, claims to be a broader-based, “grassroots” campaign.

Among the campus groups it lists as endorsing the motion are the McGill Black Students’ Network, McGill Students for Feminisms, the McGill Syrian Students’ Association, the environmental activist group Divest McGill, and the Union for Gender Empowerment, as well as SPHR.

In contrast to last year, the response from pro-Israel students has been muted.

A spokesperson for Israel on Campus at McGill, which led the coalition of students opposed to the motion at that time, told The CJN Feb. 11 that the group won’t be “leading this campaign’s mobilization,” but some of its members will be involved.

Zina Rakhamilova, a campus co-ordinator with StandWithUs Canada, said that the pro-Israel organization is involved in countering the motion and has “a professional campus person on the ground in Montreal mobilizing the students and planning a strategic campaign with our research staff and campus professionals.”

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) is working with Hillel, the main Jewish campus organization, in trying to encourage students to vote against the motion.

“CIJA Quebec and Hillel Montreal are currently supporting the students in their focused and well-reasoned response to the upcoming BDS anti-Israel motion anticipated on Feb. 22 at McGill University,” Eta Yudin, CIJA’s associate director of Quebec public affairs and Jewish community relations, said in a written statement.

“It is completely unfortunate that this type of motion continues to come up, almost wilfully in spite of the ‘no’ response… last year. It is as if the original movers of the motion are ignoring democracy. At this point, the feeling among the students is ‘enough is enough.’”

Yudin said the BDS movement’s “only real success is in getting headlines, but when it comes to their stated purpose, it is a failure. Canadian and Quebec universities are increasing their exchanges with Israeli counterparts and the number of joint projects or initiatives is at an all-time high.”

As far as Housefather, a McGill law graduate, is concerned, there should be a moratorium on BDS motions for 20 years.

McGill BDS said that it has also submitted a report to the university board of governors’ Committee to Advise on Matters of Social Responsibility on why McGill should relinquish its holdings in four specific corporations said to be profiting from the occupation or the expansion of the settlements.

They are G4S, a British security services company; L-3 Communications, an American surveillance and reconnaissance provider; the Israeli Mizrahi-Tefahot Bank; and the U.S.-based global real estate broker Re/Max.

McGill BDS scheduled several campus events before the Feb. 22 general assembly to raise awareness of its cause, including a talk by Chicago Rabbi Michael Davis of Jewish Voices for Peace.

If you think that I am ignorant for pointing out Islamic fascism and the current love affair between genocidal Islamism and the Left then so be it – your damaged and selective conscience will have to suffer.

A lot has happened in the short time since the last BDS motions were put… not least the successful BDS resolution at the American Anthropological Association annual conference to put a vote to its members. Students and university faculty are so often at the forefront of human rights movements and it’s heartening to see McGill students not backing down after the first hurdle. There are immense vested interests attacking BDS, but increasingly it is recognized the attacks have no substance.

Scaramouche

BDS is for losers.

moosehorn

BDS supports human rights and denounces oppression.

nopeacenow

What do Palestinians/Arabs/Muslims know about human rights. The Arabs/Muslims who live in Israel enjoy more rights than Arabs/Muslims living in any Muslim country. BDS calls for the destruction of Israel and not for human rights for Palestinians.

moosehorn

So nopeacenow you think that Arab Muslims in general and Palestinians in particular do not deserve their human rights to be protected. That shows what kind a person you are.

TerrorIsEvil

If the “Palestinians” wanted their own human rights protected then they would not oppress and kill their own people (AND OURS) in such huge numbers throughout the region and with respect to land sales to Jews where the PA and Hamas have official rules to murder anyone who dares sell land or do business with Jews.

moosehorn

All I have to say is that there is no reasoning with the likes of you.
You are out of touch.

Zvi Gross

Unfortunately you have.never been ” in touch”.
BDS losers.

moosehorn

With the likes of you? Fortunately NO.

moosehorn

The courageous McGill students deserve all due respect for their tireless efforts to stand against apartheid practices and human rights violations. The Palestinians are human too, aren’t they?